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Making Spike as comfortable as she could, Buffy reluctantly left him and sped to the professor’s office, to see if Giles was back from his research trip.

“He rang just now, and he’s on his way.” the professor informed her, “He thinks he might have found a spell powerful enough to protect us, at least until help arrives.”

She used the professor’s washroom to clean herself up, bandage the bite and, after changing out of her blood spattered clothes, felt a little better. He asked if she would “keep an eye on things” while he went to look for some equipment that might come in useful. Alone, and with nothing constructive to do, Buffy started to pace. This was the time when she’d usually go out and fight something, slay something. It was so frustrating. Picking up and putting down random books and papers, the usually tidy office slowly started to look as though a small tornado had struck. Glancing up to the monitor, Buffy was shocked to see a figure standing just inside Spike’s prison door. She left at a dead run.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Spike came to slowly. There was an awful, mind stunning noise – screeching, whistling, squealing, clicking – what the hell was it? Groaning, he sat up. What had happened? The last thing he remembered, was sitting on the floor with Buffy, laughing hysterically. Had he nodded off to sleep? He certainly remembered having a dream. His face softened. It had been about Buffy, as most of his dreams were these days. Only this one had been different. Usually, he was fighting or shagging her, but this time he was just lying in her lap, while she stroked his hair and looked at him with love. She had smiled at him softly – no revulsion, no disdain, no hatred – only love. He held on to the vision and smiled inwardly. Buffy in love with him – yeah right! He remembered seeing a bite mark on her neck and thinking she was his mate! She’d dust him for sure if he ever had the temerity kiss her, let alone bite her. He’d tried to kiss her once and ended up on his arse for his trouble. Wishful bloody thinking, you stupid bugger! He shook himself out of his self-indulgence and looked around for the source of the noise. It was unlike anything he had heard, but over it he could hear footsteps.

The door to his cell crashed open and he grinned when he saw who it was.

“Hilda! Pet. You okay?”

She seemed to be looking at him oddly, no smile of recognition. They both swung their heads, as they heard the sound of pounding feet echoing down the hallway. Buffy appeared in the doorway. The witch put up her hand and the Slayer felt as though she had run into a brick wall.

“Stay there. This is perfect – you should watch this.” The witch spoke in a cold voice. Buffy found that she couldn’t move a muscle – only look on silently.

Spike’s smile faltered, “What’s wrong luv?”

“Don’t call me that!” As she spoke, the witch thrust her fingers towards the vampire and suddenly a deadly, needle pointed wooden dart shot across the room and plunged into his shoulder.

Gasping with shock and pain, Spike stared at her wild-eyed. “What the bloody hell did you do that for?”

“I’ll do a lot worse before I’m finished with you, you disgusting, evil, murdering monster!” Shaking, the witch’s mouth peeled back in a parody of a smile.

Buffy, caught like a fly in amber, could only watch in horror, as another two darts pierced his body. She felt as though her heart would break, as she saw Spike’s anguished face.

“You think you could take over my life, move in with me and make me forget all my friends?” Again the witch gestured and another dart hit him, this time in his arm.

The witch seemed to quiver, but recovered quickly. “On your knees.” The shackles dropped away from his wrists and he was flung down onto the stone floor.

He started to slowly pull himself towards her. “Please. Hilda. What’s happened to make you treat me like this, after what we had together?”

“You think that you meant anything to me? You disgusted me every time you touched me.” The words dripped from her mouth like acid.

Another dart hit him in the neck, but he hardly seemed to notice. “Listen to me, my witch, please – whatever it is, let me put it right.”

The witch shook more violently this time, and her air of supreme superiority seemed to be leeching away. “That’s where you belong you despicable creature, crawling on your hands and knees.” She said hoarsely

The vampire reached the witch’s feet and looked up at her, “I’m sorry Hilda.” Sickened Buffy watched, as he bent as though he was going to kiss her foot. Instead he grasped her ankle and pulled as hard as he could. Hilda crashed down, hitting her head on the stone floor and lay unmoving.

As soon as the witch was down, Buffy was released from her invisible prison and she staggered into the room. Spike was kneeling next to Hilda, his shoulders hunched, stroking her hand and saying, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

A cold, hard voice said, “Get away from her.” The vampire looked up and saw Giles pointing a crossbow at his chest through the bars, and he could see death in the Watcher’s face.

Shakily he got to his feet and stumbled back to the far wall. “Slayer, look after her will you? “

Buffy saw Giles’ finger tighten on the trigger and she stepped between him and the vampire. “Giles, you don’t understand – he didn’t attack Hilda, she attacked him.”

“She attacked him? Why would she do that?”

“Because she was mojo-ed and taken over, just the same as me.” Spike muttered, trying hard to look relaxed, but having to lean against the wall to stop falling over.

“You can’t deny that he bit you.” Giles said to Buffy, angrily.

“I bit you?” Both humans could hear the shock and amazement in his voice.

He saw Buffy put her hand up to a bandage that had been hidden by her hair. “Yes, he bit me, but it was an accident.”

“Oh, you accidentally fell against his fangs?”

That deserved the eye roll she gave him. “Oh, please Giles! Put the crossbow down and help me with Hilda.” She bent down to pick up the witch.

“Put the shackles back on him first.”

“I think we have got past that stage ………”

The humans’ voices faded to the back of Spike’s mind, as he looked over at the witch. He concentrated hard, and managed to hear her slow, but steady, heartbeat over the annoying voices. He’d known just after the first dart had hit him, that the other witches were using Hilda to destroy him. But she was his friend – and he’d hurt her. And somehow in the confusion, he’d bitten the Slayer

Sorrow and pain flowed through him. It wasn’t like the physical pain of his wounds, this was somehow worse. He began to feel strange, what were these thoughts and feelings? A vampire shouldn’t be feeling like this about humans, he knew – but since when had he obeyed any rules? He was a free agent; he’d feel any bloody way he liked. And then he had a shattering realisation – the chip hadn’t fired! He’d hurt these women and his chip hadn’t punished him!

“Spike!”

Filled with confusion and apprehension, he looked up at Buffy and her Watcher. They were both looking at him impatiently, as if they had spoken to him before.

Buffy picked the witch up, said, “Come on,” and lead the way out of the cell.

“Against my better judgement, Buffy has persuaded me to let you live. Be aware that I don’t need much of an excuse to end your existence.” Giles gestured with the crossbow for Spike to precede him.

The vampire wasn’t sure that his legs would support him, but he pushed away from the wall and stumbled after the Slayer.





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